Today I spent about 8 hours learning sketch up and drawing up the frame of the chevalet. I’m at about this stage:

I looked up my building hours and found that it took me exactly twice that time to get to the same stage BUILDING the thing. .... And I had the arm in the photo done. It’s not in the sketch up yet.

I’ve never used CAD programs before because I design as I go and I often say that I don’t draw up plans because I don’t have a big enough eraser for all the changes I would be making along the way. That said it is an amazing tool and I will have a great set of plans when (if) I get done. At the current rate that should take about twenty hours.Did I mention my neck hurts. :-)

Paul

-- Paul M ..............If God wanted us to have fiberglass boats he would have given us fiberglass trees. http://prmdesigns.com/

Steve, The saw frame I made is 22” capacity. Remember the background is one of the pieces. If I need more I can make a 30” saw frame and the main arm will reach out far enough to accomodate it. I’ll most likely build a couple more saw frames, one larger and one smaller, but for now this is working great.

Oh yes, and I’ll probably be building another one (chevalet) when I go home….. for my home shop, you know. After all you’ve got two (or is it three) CNC’s :-)

-- Paul M ..............If God wanted us to have fiberglass boats he would have given us fiberglass trees. http://prmdesigns.com/

Hey Paul: watch all the videos on sketch up.They really help. There’s a sketch up 8 you probably know about. But it’s a pretty good program for free. When other CAD programs Are like to $275 the start.

I’ve been using Sketchup for a few years now and it’s an amazing piece of software considering it’s FOC. The quickest way to learn it, is to spend a few dollars and purchase Bob Lang’s ebook on Sketchup. This ebook has 49 embedded videos where Bob shows you how to do the things that he explains in the text. You will learn all the shortcuts and you’ll sit there saying to yourself “Wow, I never knew you could do that!”

Ok, I’m going to say it, “If Paul can learn SketchUp, I can learn SketchUp” I downloaded it a week or so ago, but just haven’t wanted to spend the time going through the tutorials. Was hoping I could find someone just to show me…. Ha! I’m Going to take Brit’s lead and order Bob Lang’s ebook. Thank you gentlemen for the boot into the 21st century. I guess I’m a die hard. I took drafting courses in college, many years ago and really liked it. It’s hard to give up those “old ways”.

Andy, Thanks form the tip. As a charter member of the “never read the instructions, how hard can it be?” set, It will be hard for me to do but I find that I’m mellowing with age and I just might catch myself at a weak moment and order it.

Ken, Well if you can, then so can I. Dinosaur my a**. Who knew we’d ever get to the 21st century anyway?

-- Paul M ..............If God wanted us to have fiberglass boats he would have given us fiberglass trees. http://prmdesigns.com/

Paul, I’ve been using CAD in one form or another since 1986, wow thats 25 years. You’ll find, like most things, it gets easier with practice. I now find it invaluable. It saves me a lot of money in materials. After all if it doesn’t look any good modelled in 3D its unlikely to in the real world. Also impossibilities (thats real ones not the sort I attempt) spring out almost automatically. However with your kind of skill level you are probably used to tackling ‘show stoppers’ as and when they arise. I’d give CAD a good try for a while. If you don’t like it, don’t use it. Theres no rules saying you have to.

As for me, like most of the Punk generation, I’m happy reversing into tomorrow.

Paul, yes, it is monumentally easier to have someone there at your side to teach you. But that not being the case, it is also monumentally hard to teach online without some background. First advice is to make EVERY individual piece of wood a Component(not a group). After that, it would be good to know what parts you are having problems with. Give us specifics and we can help you through the rough spots. I outlined some steps for StevInMarin when he was getting started. You might take a look at those posts. We’re here to answer specific questions if you’d like.

Martyn, Over the years, particularly building boats, I’ve developed the habit of mentally building every step of the way in three dimensions and have always spotted the problems way in advance and planned around them. The only times I have had “surprises” were when I was lazy and didn’t think it through first. I guess I have been using a MAD program but the CAD looks eerily similar. Anyway, I’ve decided to give it a try mainly so that I can share my plans with others. I doubt (never say never) that I would use it to plan for myself. I like the software I have. It’s much faster and I don’t have to remember any commands.Still happy to advance into yesterday.

-- Paul M ..............If God wanted us to have fiberglass boats he would have given us fiberglass trees. http://prmdesigns.com/